Costume Designers

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Friday afternoon that it will split costume designers out of the broader designers branch and into their own branch.The academy's Board of Governors also noted that two new governors will soon join Jeffrey Kurland, who will transfer to newly created branch. "History was made at the Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday night with the formation of a Costume Designers Branch," said Kurland in a release. "Costume designers have waited a long time for recognition with branch status.

One Tony Award winner is already a lock, with organizers of the theater awards ceremony announcing that costume designer Jane Greenwood would be this year's recipient of a special Tony for lifetime achievement. Tuesday's announcement included the following words of praise from Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, executive director of the American Theater Wing: "It is our honor to present Jane with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding work in costume design and for her dedication to the theatre.

"Skyfall," "Anna Karenina" and "Mirror Mirror" won the 15th annual Costume Designers Guild Award for excellence in feature film Tuesday evening at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Jany Temime won for excellence in contemporary film for "Skyfall" and Jacqueline Durran earned the award in the period film category for "Anna Karenina. " Eiko Ishioka received the award in fantasy film for "Mirror Mirror. " On the television side, Molly Maginnis earned the award for outstanding contemporary television series for "Smash" and Caroline McCall received the award for outstanding period/fantasy television series for "Downton Abbey.

Dorothy's pinafore and ruby red slippers, Darth Vader's helmet and cape and Austin Powers' blue velvet suit are just a few of the treasures on display in "Hollywood Costume," the monumental exhibition celebrating 100 years of costume in the movies opening Wednesday at the Phoenix Art Museum, its only stop in the West. Originally organized by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, where it had a sold-out run in 2012-13, the exhibition is curated by Deborah Landis, the David C. Copley chair and the director of the David C. Copley Center of Costume Design at UCLA's School of Theater, Film & Television.

"Her," "12 Years a Slave" and "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" are among the nominees for the 16th Costume Designers Guild Awards. Nominated Wednesday for excellence in contemporary film were Suzy Benzinger for "Blue Jasmine," Casey Storm for "Her," Wendy Chuck for "Nebraska," Consolata Boyle for "Philomena" and Sarah Edwards for "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. " Vying for excellence in period film are Patricia Norris for "12 Years a Slave," Michael Wilkinson for "American Hustle," Kurt & Bart for "Dallas Buyers Club," Catherine Martin for "The Great Gatsby," and Daniel Orlandi for "Saving Mr. Banks.

Two costume designers. Two ends of the spectrum. Two totally different Oscar experiences. On Thursday morning, Joanna Johnston landed her first Academy Award nomination for her costuming work on Steven Spielberg's period biopic “Lincoln.” Colleen Atwood, meanwhile, picked up her 10 th Oscar nod - on the heels of three previous Oscar wins - for her efforts outfitting nearly 3,000 actors on the fairy-tale thriller “Snow White and the Huntsman.”...

Actors and costume designers have a rare relationship on set: They're both involved in building a person, using the actor's body as the raw materials. It's a relationship built on trust and talent, and when everything goes well, clothes really do make the man (or woman). Here's a peek behind the scenes of four such recent partnerships. 'Hitchcock' Toni Collette (as Peggy Robertson) Julie Weiss (costume designer) The character: As Alfred Hitchcock'sreal-life assistant, Collette's outfits had to establish her as a mid-century working woman but never be too flashy, since Peggy always stood in the reflected glow of the master of suspense.

Designing costumes so ingrained in popular culture that they still inspire Halloween disguises 30 years after they were created - Michael Jackson's "Thriller" jacket, Indiana Jones' signature outback slouch look and the unforgettable "College" sweatshirt from "Animal House" among them - would be enough of a career accomplishment for most people. But not for Deborah Nadoolman Landis, who has spent the last decade fighting for respect, recognition and a place in the Hollywood pantheon for film costume designers, establishing herself as the flagbearer for the profession in the process.

Costume designers and art directors who work on such shows as HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" have a new three-year contract. The new contract, which includes 2% annual wage increases and higher contributions to the union health plan, was unanimously ratified by members of United Scenic Artists Local USA 829, which is part of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. The contract will run through September 30, 2015 and applies to scenic artists and designers, art directors, costume designers, art department coordinators and their assistants working in feature film and television production in the city of New York, Nassau County and the Meadowlands area of New Jersey.

Go figure: Films starring Jim Carrey and Bill Murray walked off with honors at the seventh annual Costume Designers Guild Awards. Colleen Atwood, who dressed Carrey and company in "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," won for excellence in a fantasy/period film, while the award for contemporary film went to Milena Canonero for "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou," starring Murray. Atwood is also nominated for an Oscar.

An Oscar, whether it is for lead actress or for makeup and hair, weighs exactly the same (8.5 pounds). A win in production design represents a level of achievement in a craft on par with best director. The night for all the winners is just as golden - same stars overhead. Yet there is a different, dimmer spotlight on the below-the-line contenders. Their red carpet walk will go unnoted, their gowns and tuxedo flair overlooked and their heartfelt speeches mostly unremembered or rudely cut short.

Mindy Kaling was stunning in a custom-made azure gown at Saturday's Costume Designers Guild Awards. Her sheath of choice was a one-shouldered, lace and blue-hued confection from costume designer Salvador Perez Jr., who also happens to be the president of the Costume Designers Guild. Earlier this month, "The Mindy Project" star and creator shared the nascence of the gown with a sneak peek at its muslin incarnation. "My costume designer Sal Perez is the president of the Costume Designers Guild and he is designing a gown for me for their awards," the 34-year-old captioned a snapshot . "First he fits me with a version of the gown in white muslin, which Sivorn is measuring.

The Costume Designers Guild members honored their own at a gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton's International Ballroom on Saturday night, handing out awards for outstanding costume design in seven categories as well as a handful of honorary recognitions. Among the high-profile attendees (many of them tapped to awards) included Mindy Kaling, Tony Hale, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, Debra Winger, Kerry Washington, the evening's host Joshua Malina (“The West Wing,” “Scandal”)

"12 Years a Slave," "Blue Jasmine" and "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" won at the 16th Costume Designer Guild Awards on Saturday evening in Beverly Hills. Patricia Norris won in the period film category for "12 Years a Slave. " Earlier in the evening, Steve McQueen's indictment of slavery in the U.S. earned the top film prize at the NAACP Image Awards. Suzy Benzinger took home the prize for contemporary film for "Blue Jasmine," and Trish Summerville earned the trophy for excellence in fantasy film for "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

The costume designers announced as nominees for a 2014 Academy Award in costume design Thursday all earned their nods working on period films. Michael Wilkinson for the late '70s set “American Hustle,” William Chang Suk Ping for “The Grandmaster,” (which begins in 1936), Catherine Martin for “The Great Gatsby,” (set in the Roaring 20s), Michael O'Connor for “The Invisible Woman” (about Charles Dickens' mistress) and Patricia Norris for “12 Years a Slave” -- a movie based on the 1853 memoir of Solomon Northup.

"Her," "12 Years a Slave" and "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" are among the nominees for the 16th Costume Designers Guild Awards. Nominated Wednesday for excellence in contemporary film were Suzy Benzinger for "Blue Jasmine," Casey Storm for "Her," Wendy Chuck for "Nebraska," Consolata Boyle for "Philomena" and Sarah Edwards for "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. " Vying for excellence in period film are Patricia Norris for "12 Years a Slave," Michael Wilkinson for "American Hustle," Kurt & Bart for "Dallas Buyers Club," Catherine Martin for "The Great Gatsby," and Daniel Orlandi for "Saving Mr. Banks.

Maya Rudolph's at it again - she's reportedly pregnant with baby No. 4, and she was flaunting baby bump No. 4 on Tuesday night at the 15th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards. Along with fellow "SNL" alum Amy Poehler, Rudolph was a presenter at the gala, held at the Beverly Hilton hotel. News that the "Up All Night" actress was expecting another child with writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson leaked via the Hollywood Reporter over the weekend after she shared the news with NBC execs.

Costume designers haunted libraries and museums, borrowing and adapting details from history to create handsome wardrobes for timeless Never-Never Land, 19th-Century France, '40s Hollywood and the macabre world of the Addams clan.

Based on a 19th century autobiography, "12 Years a Slave" is the true story of a free black man, Solomon Northup, abducted and sold into slavery in the emotionally vicious yet visually beautiful world of the antebellum South. Director Steve McQueen wanted the film to be "very real," says longtime costume designer Patricia Norris, and yet little documentation of slave clothing exists. With her five decades of experience, Norris created the look for Solomon (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Patsey (newcomer Lupita Nyong'o)

Long before Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins" arrived in theaters in 1964, the studio chief was wooing the story's author, P.L. Travers, trying to nab the rights to the famed books that eventually became his blockbuster film. It was a bumpy ride, as we see depicted in the Dec. 13 release "Saving Mr. Banks," that pitted the cranky, obstinate English author (played by Emma Thompson) against the agreeable but resolute Southern California mogul (Tom Hanks). Travers was tough, and veteran costume designer Daniel Orlandi, who had access to both the Walt Disney Family Museum and the Disney Studio archives, wanted to make sure that aspect came across quickly.